


The Girl who Cried Wolf

by Jarino



Series: Rima Lavellan, Herald of Andraste [27]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Amputation, F/M, Family, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Loss of Limbs, Post-Trespasser, Storytelling, Trespasser DLC, Trespasser Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-15 06:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5774068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarino/pseuds/Jarino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After disbanding the Inquisition, Rima and Cullen take the time to visit Cullen’s family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Girl who Cried Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> (Warning: Spoilers for Trespasser DLC)  
> Also, if you’re interested in seeing my family tree of the Rutherford-Lavellans, it’s over here: http://orig01.deviantart.net/5470/f/2015/263/f/b/rutherford_lavellan_family_tree_by_jarino-d9acw67.png

“…Are you sure we have everything?”

With a chuckle, Cullen pulled Rima closer and pressed his lips against the crown of her head before mumbling, “Relax, love…You’ve met them before, remember?”

“I-I know, but…that was two years ago…And we weren’t exactly _married_ then…” With a wince, she looked up at him nervously. “What if they don’t want me as a sister-in-law?”

He had to fight the urge to roll his eyes, and instead opted for murmuring words of comfort. “They absolutely adored you the last time…I doubt their opinion of you has changed since then.”

She let out a reluctant sigh, her shoulders drooping slightly as she leaned into his embrace. “I know…but I’m allowed to worry, aren’t I?”

“Of course, dear.” He gave her a playful smile before releasing her from his hold.

\-----

The pair led their mounts down the soft dirt trail; the small house in the distance slowly coming into view. As they neared the cottage, there was a flicker of movement in the window, but the curtains quickly fell back into place before they could catch a glimpse.

Cullen was the first to dismount, swiftly leading his horse to a hitching rail on the side of the house. Upon finishing, he headed straight back to Rima and proffered a hand for her with a gentlemanly smile. She offered him a look of gratitude before accepting his hand and carefully stepping down from her hart.

Learning to hold the reigns one-handed hadn’t been terribly difficult, but certain tasks were proving much more challenging, and dismounting happened to be counted among these.

His grip lingered for a moment longer than necessary, his thumb casually brushing against her skin before he leaned down to plant a reassuring kiss on her cheek. “It’ll be fine,” he mumbled in a soothing voice.

They made their way toward the front door, and as he knocked on the wooden surface, Cullen’s other hand quickly found its way around Rima’s waist. It wasn’t long before the door opened, swinging inward to reveal an excited small child. “They’re here! Ma, they’re here!” he shouted eagerly before running further into the house.

Cullen immediately began chuckling, with Rima following suit. They threw one another a look of amusement before stepping through the threshold and glancing inside curiously.

“I hear you, I’m coming…” A woman’s voice rang from the next room. Soon enough, the young boy had reappeared, practically bouncing up and down as his mother trailed behind him.

Her long, golden hair hung in a braid over her shoulder and she busied herself with wiping her hands on her apron. Upon noticing the pair in the doorway, a large smile spread across her face and she picked up her pace as she approached them.

“Cullen! Rima! It’s so good to see you again,” she greeted warmly before pulling each of them in for a friendly hug.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Samantha,” Cullen agreed with a grin. “Nicholas has grown so much since we were last here.”

She threw a look over her shoulder at the toddler, who was already skipping to the next room, before chuckling happily. “Well, he’s certainly full of energy. I honestly don’t know where he gets it all.” She turned her gaze back to the couple before ushering them in further. “Come on in. Rosie and I are making lunch right now, but everyone else is in the living room.”

As they entered the room, everyone quickly looked up to greet the newcomers. A wide grin stretched across the familiar face of a tall brunette woman, who immediately stood to embrace them. “Well, well…two visits in the span of three years. This must be something of a miracle,” she chastised teasingly.

Cullen responded with a dramatic roll of his eyes before addressing her. “Hello to you, too, Mia…”

“Oh, you know I’m just giving you a hard time!” she chimed, her grin not leaving any time soon. She made as if to ruffle her brother’s hair, but he ducked out of the way before she could get the chance. A huff of mild discouragement left her, but her disappointment was quickly forgotten as her attentions landed on Rima.

“Ah, and here’s the woman of the hour! Welcome back!” she exclaimed, her arms reaching out to envelop the smaller woman.

Rima let out a laugh as she returned the embrace. “It’s good to be back. It’s been so long since we’ve had a proper chance to catch up.”

“Right?” She threw an exaggerated look over her shoulder at Cullen before adding playfully, “Though I suppose most of that is your husband’s fault. Honestly, I’m not sure what you see in him.”

He gave another low groan before turning his attention elsewhere. As he did so, another curly-haired man entered into the room from the kitchen, a small toddler tucked into his side. Lifting the squirming boy into the air, he gave the lad a smile. “Hey, now. What’re you doing running all over the place? We’ve got guests, remember?”

The boy mumbled something incoherently, ducking his head slightly, which prompted a laugh from his father. After setting Nicholas down on the floor, Branson made his way over to a stool to take a seat. “Honestly…He’s been so excited to see the two of you – he’s been talking about it for weeks…but the moment you’re here, he immediately starts dashing off on his own,” he said with a chuckle, shaking his head slightly.

“Oh, that’s all right,” Rima reassured. “I’m certain exploring the house is much more interesting than chatting with a couple of boring grownups, after all.”

Cullen took a seat at an armchair, while Rima found a spot for herself on the floor. Smiling widely, she met young Nicholas’ inquisitive gaze. “Well, hello there. I haven’t seen you in a while.” When the only answer she received was an intense stare, she kept speaking. “You probably don’t remember me. You were still just a babe at the time. Why…I think you were only… _that_ tall!” she said merrily, as she held her hand about a foot and a half off the ground.

“What happened to your arm?”

In an instant, the room went silent. Some pairs of eyes hesitantly drifted to Rima, perhaps to see her reaction, while others remained plastered to the floor. Cullen tentatively turned his gaze to his wife, mild concern etched on his face as he waited to see how she would respond.

She appeared cold and distant for several moments; her eyes somewhat clouded over, but in an instant, she pushed the feeling away and was wearing a bright smile in its place. Leaning in close to the boy, she whispered in a mysterious voice, “Well…if you must know…” She glanced about momentarily, as if searching for possible eavesdroppers before continuing. “A wolf took it from me.”

Nicholas let out an audible gasp, his hands flying to his mouth as he looked at her in shock.

Grinning at him impishly, she asked, “Do you want to hear the story?”

His eyes still wide, he nodded wordlessly as he waited with anticipation.

Rima promptly leaned back on her haunches, extending her arms into the air as she set the scene. “It all started at the Conclave…The sky had fallen open, demons were everywhere…It was complete chaos!”

A smile found its way onto Cullen’s face and he sat back in his chair as he watched on in amusement.

“I had no idea what to do…We were surrounded, and rifts were opening everywhere! Then…all of a sudden, a wolf appeared. He helped us fight, and when the coast was clear, he came to me, whispering how to use the mark on my hand. I did as he said, and just like magic, the rift was closed!” She took a slow pause, gauging his reaction. “He was such a clever wolf…He stayed to help the Inquisition, and I couldn’t help but trust him. His wise words and sly tongue kept me from questioning his intentions…I didn’t see him for the trickster he was until it was too late.”

“What happened then?” Nicholas asked, his voice but a whisper.

“He disappeared for several years…I thought I would never see him again, but after months of searching, I finally found him!” She leaned forward, lowering her voice for dramatic effect. “The mark on my hand was out of control. I was really scared…I had no idea how to stop it. The wolf had been my friend once, and so I sought him ought. I thought he’d be able to help me.”

“Did you find him?”

She nodded. “Oh, yes. I’d managed to track him down. After running through dozens of ruins and fighting off a number of enemies, I eventually came face to face with him; a large mirror stood behind him, setting the stage.”

The young boy held his breath, sitting on the metaphorical edge of his seat.

“I reached out to him for help, as I’d done before, when SNAP!” She used her remaining hand to mimic a wolf’s jaws, causing Nicholas to jump slightly. “He bit into my arm and snatched it away before I could do anything!”

He let out a loud gasp, his mouth dropping to the ground as his eyes widened ever further.

“But don’t worry…” Rima said quietly, leaning in as if she were telling him a secret. “I plan on finding him again and having a few choice words with him…”

Nicholas’ face instantly lit up at that and he began mumbling to her excitedly, but in that same moment, Cullen could feel his own joy fade away. Her story, while entertaining, only served to remind him of the awful events they’d had to endure at the Exalted Council, as well as their endeavor to stop Solas’ insane plans of destroying the world.

Slowly, he made his way over to his wife’s side and wrapped his arm around her protectively. He began running his hand along the stump of her arm in consolation, opting for actions of comfort in place of his words. In times like these, he wouldn’t be certain what to say anyhow.

What he did know was this: whatever the future had in store for them, they would face it head on, and they would face it together.


End file.
